Or… Here We Go Again
So. Here we are again. It’s the end of August, and My Hero is deployed again. This time, though…. it’s for a year. 12 months. 52 weeks. 365 days. Oh my.
I don’t expect this year to be easy, but I feel ready for it. Not because I think I’m superwoman or anything. I know I’m not. But I feel like even though we only had a month’s notice for this deployment, we’ve been preparing for this since the beginning of summer, and like God is trying to teach his very dense pupils about HIS provision.
Ever since we moved here, I have coached gymnastics. The gym has two locations. One 15 minutes away from our house and one 45 minutes away. At first, the agreement was that I would only work four days a week, and only at the close gym. Well, as other coaches quit or moved on, more was asked of me. Last fall, while My Hero was deployed, I was working SIX days a week, and twice a week, I was in the FAR location. I had to figure out childcare for my kids, I didn’t get home until late at night, I would drag the kids with me if they were sick… It was rough. We survived, though, and truly loved coaching the kids. However, when the summer schedule came out this year, I was on it for more than twenty hours a week, and twice I week I wasn’t even scheduled at the same gym as my son. This was not what I signed up for. All the hours were running my health into the ground, and I wasn’t getting enough time with my family. After much heartache, we made the decision to leave the gym.
We found another gym 45 minutes away that has an amazing boys’ program. I talked with the owner, and found that not only was she a Christian, she homeschooled her children all the way through high school! HUGE blessing! We signed The Gymnast up, and the owner told me that if I decided to coach again, I had a job waiting for me. After six weeks or so, I couldn’t stand not coaching. The owners hired me to coach their optional girls (my favorite levels) on beam (my favorite event) three days a week – the three days that my kids were already there. Three weeks into being hired, we all got sick. Our attendance was spotty. One day in particular, I remember calling and telling her that the kids were sick, but I would be there to work. She replied that it sounded like I was needed at home, and she would see me when the kids were better.
When we found out My Hero was deploying, I went in and told the owner I would need time off. She responded simply with tell me what you need. This was like a breath of fresh air! At the other gym, they almost didn’t let me take a vacation to Disney World with my family when The Hero came home. Here, all I had to do was ask, and it was given. God provided me with a job that I love and hours that are convenient for my family. I don’t have to worry about childcare or scrambling to find somewhere for the kids to hang out. I DON’T have to go in when the kids and I are sick. Total peace about working! God’s perfect provision, and we didn’t even know it when we decided to switch.
Also, last year, I tutored for Classical Conversations. I LOVED it, but it was tough to find the time to prepare every week. This year, I was asked to be the substitute and assistant to the director. It’s perfect! There is plenty for me to do while I’m there, but it requires very little prep work on my part. Hooray! Provision again before we needed it!
Apparently, we hadn’t truly learned the lesson that God would provide for us. Or at least, we hadn’t learned it well enough. My Hero left on Monday. Hurricane Isaac was supposed to hit here Tuesday. Thankfully, we only received a bit of wind and rain. However, we still managed to have a mini-disaster. Less than 24 hours after My Hero left, the kids ran into my room, frantically shouting at me to look out the window.
Our boat lift collapsed! Need a better view?
Something broke….
I was stunned. Not even 24 hours before our first catastrophe! But God had something to teach us. As soon as I saw it, I called our neighbor. He was at work, and unable to help. I called another neighbor. He didn’t answer. I sent the kids to his house just in case. I tried somebody who lived a few blocks away. No answer. I called his wife, who called another friend to pick up her husband and bring him here. In the meantime, the first neighbor was making calls of his own. Within TWENTY MINUTES of discovering the boat lift’s collapse, we had four men – two of whom I had never met – over here, working on the situation. Within an hour, the boat was trailered and the lift was secured to the dock. The men I didn’t know promised to come back after the storm to repair the lift. The other two promised to come back and flush out the motor after the storm. The icing on the cake was that not thirty seconds after all was completed, the rain began. None of us got wet while working on the boat! When I shared this story with My Hero, he said that he felt like God was speaking directly to him, telling him not to worry.
God STILL wasn’t finished. The hardest part of the deployment for My Hero is getting on the plane. It’s a long ride. To top it off, because of the check out time for the hotel, he had to sit at the airport for 8 hours. No fun. However, because he was there so early, he was the very first to check in. The ticket agent told him that because he was the first to check in, he would get a seat in the BUSINESS CLASS! So instead of having to sit in the crowded, cramped space of the regular seats, he had (has – he’s still on the plane) a seat where he couldn’t even touch the seat in front of him.
I know it may seem like a little thing, but it made a big difference to My Hero. On top of all of that, he also saw a guy reading The Case for Christ while waiting for the plane. He struck up a conversation, and found out that the guy will be working in the same building as him! So right of the bat, My Hero has somebody to talk to once he gets there.
I believe that this is going to be an incredible year. I can’t wait to see everything God is going to do!
onedayclosertohome 